Bluetooth

What is Bluetooth?

As the Bluetooth Special Interest Group states, Bluetooth wireless technology is built into lots of electronic gadgets so that you can talk and share things like music and videos wirelessly.

Bluetooth uses radio waves to send information wirelessly – just like mobiles, FM radio and TV use radio waves. The difference is that Bluetooth works over distances up to 10 metres (called a Personal Area Network or PAN), while mobiles, FM radio and TV do it over many miles.

The Bluetooth technology consists of a piece of hardware or a small computer chip that contains the Bluetooth radio and some software.

It was originally intended to be a wireless replacement for cables and wires between things like phones and handsets, keyboards and your mouse, but it can now be used to do things like connect your mobile to your car stereo or to print a photo directly from your camera phone.

What do I need to know about Bluetooth?

Your son or daughter might be using Bluetooth on their mobile, so it’s crucial that you understand the potential risks to their safety and privacy.

As with any wireless environment, Bluetooth is susceptible to breaches of security, such as:

  • Bluebugging – hackers take control of a mobile via its Bluetooth headset and use it to make calls, send texts and access the address book
  • Bluejacking – unsolicited messages are sent to Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as mobiles and PDAs. It’s usually harmless but, if it happens to you or your child, you/they might see inappropriate and harmful content or become the victim of a bully
  • Bluesnarfing – this is much more serious than Bluejacking as it involves someone accessing and copying personal information stored on a Bluetooth device, such as address books, emails, text messages and photos
  • Viruses – your child might inadvertently transfer a virus onto their mobile when they receive a file via Bluetooth

Your child might also use Bluetooth devices to engage in inappropriate or potentially illegal activity, such as:

  • Illegal file-sharing – they might break copyright laws by sending or receiving files (eg music tracks) via Bluetooth that they haven’t paid for
  • Sexting – some young people exchange naked or intimate images via Bluetooth, which could put them at risk of things like bullying. They might even be breaking the law by taking and sharing these kind of images

Fortunately, most Bluetooth device manufacturers provide built-in tools to let you choose which devices you or your child communicate with and you can also choose to disable Bluetooth completely.

What can I do about Bluetooth?

  • Encourage your son or daughter to take mobile safety and security seriously – they should treat their phone like a mini-computer that is valuable both financially and because of all the personal information stored on it
  • Any device with its Bluetooth connection turned on and set to “discoverable” is vulnerable so set up the most relevant security mode on your child’s Bluetooth devices. Go to the Bluetooth menu and set the device to “non-discoverable” or “hiding”
  • Encourage your child to delete all unsolicited messages on any Bluetooth devices, such as their mobile or PDA
  • Explain to them why they should refuse requests to install new programmes on their mobile that they’re not familiar with – they could result in a virus
  • Just as you can get anti-virus software for your computer, it’s available for mobiles too
  • Read our articles about downloading & copyright, exploring sexual identity, privacy and security

Where can I go for more information and support about Bluetooth?

How old are your kids?

What you need to know to get started

  • 5-7 years old

    Technology is part of your child's life before they start primary school. They're probably using the computer, the internet and interactive TV for fun - watching programmes on the CBeebies channel and website or taking part in the Club Penguin chat rooms...but they still need adult guidance and supervision.

    Read more

  • 8-11 years old

    If you have 8-11 year old children, your house is probably full of technology - PlayStation, Nintendo, iPod...the list goes on. In fact, research shows that 8-11 year olds in the UK have an average of four media devices in their bedroom.

    This is a crucial age for young people to embrace new technologies and develop their ICT skills both at home and at school...and it's a crucial time for you to take control when they start exploring the digital world as well as the real world.

    Read more

  • 12-14 years old

    They're at secondary school and growing up fast. It's a time of change and their digital world might seem as important as the real world to them. They might spend their evenings on Bebo, Facebook or MySpace ; watching videos on YouTube and uploading their own for others to watch; or doing research for their homework.

    You want to encourage their technology and social skills, of course, so it's useful to understand what they're doing with technology and to get involved with it.

    Read more

  • 15+ years old

    Once your children are teenagers, it might be tempting to think that they're tech-savvy and dealing with everything the virtual world can throw at them. You probably watch in awe as they switch from chatting with friends on Facebook to updating their Twitter profile; playing against someone on the other side of the world on their games console to downloading music on their mobile.

    It's all great fun but, as they get older, the things you need to help them to cope with in their digital world are ever more challenging. Far from leaving them to it, you really need to keep communicating with them.

    Read more

How much do you know?

The average Facebook user has 130 friends on their profile

Take our test to give you an idea about how well you understand internet safety and new technologies. It’s quick and easy and will help you decide which parts of the website to visit.

Take the test